Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Ansan

For one person, living is cheaper in Ansan: $1,415 a month against $1,842 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Ansan
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Ansan Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Ansan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,415

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Ansan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Busan and in Ansan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,842 in Busan versus $1,415 in Ansan.

Busan $1,842
Ansan $1,415

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,019 in Busan versus $2,177 in Ansan.

Busan $3,019
Ansan $2,177

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,196 in Busan versus $2,939 in Ansan.

Busan $4,196
Ansan $2,939

Living in Busan is roughly 30% more expensive than in Ansan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Busan 35% above, Ansan 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 ₩10.3K

$7.43 ₩9,958

3.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.41 ₩66.2K

$34.75 ₩46.6K

42.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 ₩8,891

$6.70 ₩8,976

-1.04%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ₩4,932

$4.09 ₩5,486

-10.02%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₩2,489

$1.58 ₩2,113

17.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₩1,869

$0.77 ₩1,027

80.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 ₩5,005

$3.56 ₩4,769

4.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₩5,909

$4.60 ₩6,166

-4.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,028

$2.05 ₩2,743

10.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,357

$3.08 ₩4,128

5.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 ₩4,166

$2.36 ₩3,158

31.78%

Eggs

$2.67 ₩3,576

$3.68 ₩4,938

-27.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 ₩14.9K

$16.05 ₩21.5K

-30.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.70 ₩14.3K

$7.99 ₩10.7K

33.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.98 ₩33.5K

$17.18 ₩23.0K

45.40%

Apples (1kg)

$11.16 ₩15.0K

$7.66 ₩10.3K

45.69%

Banana (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,813

$3.23 ₩4,334

11.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.17 ₩11.0K

$5.81 ₩7,785

40.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.11 ₩8,185

$6.43 ₩8,621

-4.98%

Potato (1kg)

$6.20 ₩8,310

$3.59 ₩4,815

72.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 ₩4,458

$2.65 ₩3,546

25.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 ₩3,863

$2.14 ₩2,864

34.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₩1,729

$1.15 ₩1,544

12.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ₩4,635

$3.37 ₩4,514

2.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.56 ₩24.9K

$19.15 ₩25.7K

-3.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,243

$2.30 ₩3,085

5.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₩4,818

$3.30 ₩4,420

8.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,535

$1.14 ₩1,529

0.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ₩94.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,761

$3.77 ₩5,052

-5.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₩985

$0.64 ₩857

14.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.97 ₩22.7K

$9.26 ₩12.4K

83.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,899

$1.41 ₩1,886

0.71%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$39.9K ₩53.5M

$29.9K ₩40.1M

33.48%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.9K ₩45.5M

$29.0K ₩38.9M

16.90%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$206 ₩275.7K

$213 ₩285.8K

-3.50%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$36.67 ₩49.2K

$35.59 ₩47.7K

3.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.39 ₩36.7K

$21.25 ₩28.5K

28.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ₩69.1K

$37.00 ₩49.6K

39.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₩13.6K

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 ₩15.9K

$11.37 ₩15.2K

4.49%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$638 ₩855.5K

$299 ₩400.9K

113.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ₩29.8M

$18.2K ₩24.4M

22.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩139.9K

$57.6 ₩77.2K

81.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 ₩87.2K

$33.41 ₩44.8K

94.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 ₩124.3K

$71.6 ₩95.9K

29.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₩174.3K

$82.4 ₩110.4K

57.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ₩999.6K

$461 ₩617.3K

61.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 ₩781.1K

$376 ₩504.0K

55.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₩2.9M

$1,113 ₩1.5M

93.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 ₩1.9M

$763 ₩1.0M

89.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,485 ₩11.4M

$21.1K ₩28.3M

-59.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,272 ₩4.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,826 ₩3.8M

$1,493 ₩2.0M

89.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

4.08

3.43%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Busan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ansan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$583 31.6%

Ansan

$376 26.6% 35.5% $207

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$489 26.6%

Ansan

$423 29.9% 13.6% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$270 14.7%

Ansan

$270 19.1% 0.1% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$177 9.6%

Ansan

$110 7.8% 37.6% $66

Eating Out

Busan

$166 9%

Ansan

$165 11.7% 0.7% $1.1

Getting Around

Busan

$82 4.5%

Ansan

$12 * 0.8% 86% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$75 4.1%

Ansan

$60 4.2% 20.7% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $746 in Busan and $461 in Ansan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 89% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $49 in Busan vs $35 in Ansan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $423 per month, with Ansan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇰🇷 Ansan

🕒 Local time

13:48 1:48 PM

Same time as Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

677,710

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Busan Ansan 310 km

From you

Busan
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Busan vs Ansan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ansan is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in transport, clothing, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 89% higher in Busan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $746 in Busan versus $461 in Ansan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $638 in Busan versus $299 in Ansan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ansan – a meal for two runs $35 versus $49 in Busan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

For families, Ansan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Busan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Busan and Ansan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Ansan wins on affordability, Busan on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.